Quartz crystal watches have become very popular in the past year and generally provide a digital read-out either by means of light emitting diodes or liquid crystals.
In watches of the foregoing type, there is normally provided a manually operable push-button which will actuate an illuminating means within the watch to render the display visible. Operation of this push-button occupies both hands of the wearer, one hand or wrist supporting the watch or holding the watch and the other hand operating the push-button. Because of this awkward procedure, inertia type switches which can respond to a flick of the wrist have been utilized in such watches to render the display visible. In other instances, pressure switches which can be operated by the one hand or wrist supporting the watch have also been proposed. See, for example, my copending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 156,688 filed Oct. 21, 1974 entitled ACTUATING MECHANISMS FOR WRIST INSTRUMENTS; 556,335 filed Mar. 7, 1975, entitled WRIST ACTUATED PRESSURE SWITCH FOR WATCHES; and 538,743 filed Jan. 6, 1975, entitled ACCELERATION/DECELERATION ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR WRIST INSTRUMENTS.
While the inertia responsive switch works well for a wristwatch since a wearer need only flick his wrist, it might not be as convenient in the case of a pocket watch or watch hanging from a necklace in the manner of a pendant.